Eye in the sky: I-Drive 360 is opened and ready for Gay Days

This Gay Days Weekend the biggest, newest attraction isn’t in any of the theme parks. The Orlando Eye, a 400-foot tall observation wheel, opened just last month as the centerpiece of I-Drive 360, a new dining and entertainment destination on International Drive.

Standing 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty, The Orlando Eye is the tallest observation wheel on the U.S. East Coast. Visitors start their journey with a 5 minute pre-flight film experience featuring a 3D movie of iconic Central Florida landmarks accompanied by spectacular in-theater effects including fireworks, wind, scents and lighting.

From there it’s off to one of the wheel’s 30 fully enclosed, air-conditioned glass capsules that each holds up to 15 passengers. A Bose audio system providing music and narration has also been installed in each capsule, as well as tablets designed to provide information on the Eye’s spectacular 360-degree views.

In the 20 minutes it takes to rotate completely around from start to finish visitors will take in unique perspectives of the area including nearby theme parks and attractions, the downtown Orlando skyline, and, if the day is clear, Cape Canaveral on Florida’s East Coast.

The outside of the Eye is illuminated with more than 64,000 color-changing LEDs lightbulbs, providing a variety of color options to celebrate holidays and other special occasions. And yes, we’ve already put in a request for red for Gay Day Weekend, or a full rainbow for Pride month!

While the Orlando Eye is certainly the area’s tallest attraction, it’s also among the slowest, rotating at a mere one mile per hour. And just like the variety of international guests who’ll ride it, The Eye has ties all over the world. The glass covering the capsules was crafted in Turkey. The capsules were assembled in Hungary and shipped to Florida from Northern Germany. And renowned international amusement installation firm Intamin, based in Switzerland, designed and manufactured the wheel.

Also just opened at I-Drive 360 is Sea Life Aquarium and Madame Tussauds Orlando, the newest branch of the world’s most famous celebrity wax figure attraction…including life-like figures of gay international icon Ricky Martin and out actor Jim Parsons from The Big Bang Theory.

Tickets to The Orlando Eye start at $20 and discount combination packages including visits to Sea Life Aquarium and Madame Tussads are available. The Orlando Eye opens at 10 a.m. daily, and closing times vary throughout the week. For more information visit OfficialOrlandoEye.com.

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